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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27501850">in the wake of the odyssey, we will still be thick as thieves</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanaryWarrior/pseuds/CanaryWarrior'>CanaryWarrior</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargirl (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cameron is a villain, Gen, and the school play is romeo and juliet, but he's besties with beth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 02:54:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27501850</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanaryWarrior/pseuds/CanaryWarrior</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Beth Chapel and Cameron Mahkent may be on opposite sides, but after they agree to work backstage for the school play, they are forced to work closely. During costume and set designing and coffee runs, the two grow closer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beth Chapel &amp; Cameron Mahkent, Beth Chapel/Rick Tyler, but only a bit - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>in the wake of the odyssey, we will still be thick as thieves</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a Beth and Cameron friendship fic I have been working on for over a month now, and I hope you all enjoy it!</p><p>Title from Shinedown's 'Thick as Thieves.'</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It all started when Yolanda plopped down at the JSA’s lunch table with a grin on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Guess who the stage manager is for this year’s play?” Yolanda said excitedly. She had come a long way from her photo scandal, and her friends were glad to see that Yolanda was regaining her confidence once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Congrats!” Courtney, Beth, and Rick chorused, all proud of their friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, there’s more!” Yolanda turned to Beth. “Ms. Moore wanted me to ask if you would be assistant director!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth’s eyes widened. “Really?” She was flattered, honestly, but why her? Beth had helped out with previous plays, but only with the costumes. “I’ve only ever done costumes, though…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, about that, can you also do costumes?” Yolanda asked sheepishly. “I know it’s a lot, but Ms. Moore said that she will try her best not to give you a heavy workload as assistant director. It’s just that less people are interested in participating backstage this year, so a few people have to double up on jobs.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth wasn’t sure if she had time to tackle both assistant director and costumes on top of her regular responsibilities, but she didn’t want to let Yolanda down. Her friend may have lost the student body president election for obvious reasons, but this was her comeback. Beth couldn’t leave her to deal with all of this on her own. “Yeah, I can do both.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yolanda squealed and leaned over to hug Beth. “Thank you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who else has to double up on jobs?” Courtney asked curiously, smiling at Yolanda’s giddiness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yolanda’s smile fell from her face. “Cameron.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The table fell silent for a couple of moments until Rick spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re telling me that Icicle Jr is helping out with the play?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yolanda nodded. “Yeah, he was one of the few people who volunteered.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, he may be a villain, technically, but he’s still nice in school,” Courtney said, ever the hopeful optimist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wasn’t wrong though, Cameron was still a sweetheart outside of the ISA. Even though he knew their identities, he didn’t reveal them to anyone. He still had some kind of moral and honor code. Sure, he acted cooly toward Courtney and the rest of them when he found out the details of his father’s death, but he never said anything nasty to them. Cameron mostly avoided Courtney, their past relationship drama being a driving factor in that. He didn’t talk to Rick, which wasn’t much of a change, and he was courteous to Beth and Yolanda. Beth because she was sweet and Cameron knew that his father hurt her, and Yolanda because he felt bad about her scandal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What is Cameron doing for the play?” Beth inquired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He’s assistant stage manager and in charge of the sets.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So he’s just going to be working closely with you two?” Rick asked incredulously, not liking this at all. He felt somewhat secure in the fact that Cameron wouldn’t hurt any of the girls in school, but Rick didn’t trust him. Not by a long shot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yolanda shrugged. “Yeah, pretty much. Unless…” She exchanged a look with Beth, who quickly caught on and giggled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Unless what?” Courtney wondered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two can audition,” Beth suggested. Both Courtney and Rick hesitated, prompting Yolanda to continue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, just audition, if you get a role, then great, if not, that’s fine too. Please? We need more people to audition.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rick was going to regret this, he could feel it in his bones. Knowing damn well he would do anything for his best friends, he relented. “Fine, what’s the play?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Romeo and Juliet,” Yolanda replied. “Ms. Moore insisted on doing a classic for our play this year, hoping it would garner more interest in drama.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, when are auditions?” The blonde asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Today after school. Sorry it’s such short notice,” Yolanda apologized.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No worries, we’ll be there,” Courtney reassured her while Rick nodded his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, seriously, you have no idea how much you three just saved me,” Yolanda expressed gratefully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Courtney’s face softened and she reached over to squeeze Yolanda’s hand. “Always.” Yolanda smiled at her before turning to Beth. “Also we’re having a meeting for the backstage crew after auditions. We’re all going to be hanging out in the auditorium during auditions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth nodded. “Okay, I’ll be there!” She turned to Courtney and Rick. “Which parts are you going to audition for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Juliet probably,” Courtney responded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rick shrugged. “I don’t know, I never read it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth smiled. “I think you should audition for Romeo. I think you would make a nice one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rick’s face turned slightly red and the girls chuckled. “We’ll see.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After school, Beth met Yolanda and the rest of the crew in the auditorium. Ms. Moore, their drama teacher, was also serving as director, Cameron, and two girls named Scarlett and Olivia who were working on lights and sound. Yolanda sat next to Ms. Moore at the table centered among the seats. Scarlett and Olivia sat in the back, quietly discussing their responsibilities. Beth sat a few seats behind Yolanda and Ms. Moore, putting her feet up on the seat in front of her. Cameron hesitantly sat next to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” the brunette boy greeted, almost timidly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi Cameron,” Beth responded curtly. “I heard that you’re assistant stage manager and in charge of the sets?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nodded. “Yeah, and you’re assistant director and in charge of costumes. Looks like we’ll be working closely.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess we will.” Beth didn’t mean to sound so wary, but she couldn’t help herself. The guy who was technically her enemy was sitting next to her!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why aren’t you sitting with Ms. Moore up front?” Cameron asked curiously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth shrugged. “I’d rather sit here and enjoy the auditions. Besides, Yolanda seemed excited about helping with the cast and she would do a better job at that than me. Ms. Moore was chill with it since I doubled up on jobs like you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s cool.” Cameron said awkwardly, before Ms. Moore called out the first name. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Auditions went on for the next hour. If Beth started to drift off halfway through, then that was her business. She was startled by a gentle hand on her shoulder and her eyes opened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I just thought you would want to see Courtney and Rick audition,” Cameron said softly, gesturing to the stage where her two best friends were. “They’re auditioning for Romeo and Juliet together.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, thank you,” Beth smiled softly. Maybe working with Cameron wouldn’t be so bad after all? She settled back into her seat and watched Rick and Courtney recite lines. Wow, Rick looked really handsome under the stage light. Who knew there was an actor hidden in Rick Tyler?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re good,” Cameron whispered to Beth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, they are. Do you think they’ll get it?” Beth asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron nodded. “Definitely, the other auditions were decent but those two are really knocking it out of the park. Who knew?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, right? I didn’t expect them to be great actors,” Beth whispered back, thinking about Courtney’s terrible lying ability and Rick’s general bad boy/ delinquent reputation. She allowed her gaze to wander to Rick, who was still speaking on stage. Ms. Moore seemed captivated by their audition and urged them to continue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron followed Beth’s interested gaze back to Rick. He smirked to himself- Beth had a crush on Rick? Well, that was unexpected. The evil part of him wondered if he could have some fun with this development. The ice powered teen noticed that Rick’s eyes found Beth in the audience. So, Cameron leaned near Beth’s ear to whisper something to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t wait to see the costumes you come up with for them- I bet they’re going to be really good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth smiled at him. “Thank you, that’s kind of you to say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron smiled back at the JSA member before glancing back to the stage. Sure enough, Rick was glaring at him. Looks like Rick returned Beth’s feelings after all. Don’t get him wrong, Cameron liked Beth, he thought she was a sweet girl. Rick, on the other hand? Not so much. Who knew messing with Rick would be so fun?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was going to be a memorable play. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>    ~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, Rick and Courtney got the leads, which didn’t surprise anyone except for them. This led to rehearsal every day after school, with Beth and Cameron working on costumes and sets respectively while helping Ms. Moore and Yolanda. While the cast were on the stage, Beth and Cameron were sitting in the back of the audience, working on designs. They sat next to each other with their feet up, sketching costumes and sets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth was planning Courtney’s dress when she turned to ask Cameron, “Hey, which shade of blue would match Court’s eyes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron furrowed his eyebrows. “Hmm, either baby blue or deep sky blue.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth’s eyes brightened. “Thanks! How are the sets going?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron showed her the drawings he did so far. They were stunning - a pretty balcony, beautiful sceneries, and very realistic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” Beth gasped. “Those are beautiful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The artist smiled bashfully. “Thanks, how are the costumes coming along?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth showed Cameron her designs, which included a blue and white dress for Courtney and medieval wear for Rick in black, red, and gold, which caused Cameron to raise an eyebrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A little on the nose, don’t you think?” He teased, thinking about the powerful punches Rick gave him in his Hourman attire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listen, that was unintentional. I just thought that Rick would look good in those colors, that’s all,” Beth admitted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, might I suggest going with navy blue for Rick? To complement Courtney’s outfit in a way?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Navy blue…” Beth mused. That might just work. “Yeah, I think that would be better. Thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anytime.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth glanced at Cameron. “Why are you helping me? Technically, we’re enemies...” She asked suspiciously. Beth knew they were on opposite sides. Sure, they didn’t actively hate each other or tried to fight each other, but still, Cameron had no reason to be kind to her.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t care about that. You’re a sweet person, I like you,” Cameron shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth smiled at that. “That’s nice of you to say. Guess you aren’t as cold as everyone thinks,” she playfully bumped his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron chuckled. “How long have you been waiting to make a cold pun?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It just came to me,” Beth said nonchalantly, causing Cameron to smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure it did,” he said teasingly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Meanwhile on stage, Rick narrowed his eyes at a certain part of the audience. “I don’t like this,” he growled, looking at Beth and Cameron smiling and laughing together. Did Beth just bump her shoulder against Cameron’s?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?” Courtney whispered to Rick, who gestured to the backstage duo in the audience. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Rick pointed out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re just talking, Rick. They’re working together backstage, it makes sense that they would have to get along,” Courtney reminded Rick. “Besides, it’s Beth, she’s nice to everyone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Which could get her killed,” Rick stated matter-of-factly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No wonder you’re Romeo, you’re so dramatic,” Courtney shot back. “Beth will be fine, okay? If anyone can make someone a little less cold, it’s Beth. Now let’s focus before Yolanda yells at us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Rick grumbled. He made sure to spare a glance toward Beth and Cameron every couple of minutes though. The thought of Beth anywhere near him made Rick’s blood boil.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For today’s rehearsal, Beth stayed backstage to work on the costumes and sets while the actors rehearsed the whole play. Beth already got everyone’s measurements, and finished some of the costumes at home. All she had left were Rick’s and Courtney’s, which were meant to be the most elaborate. Usually Cameron would be backstage with her, but he didn’t show up yet. She knew he was at school, they had physics together and they spoke, but he wasn’t here. Maybe he had an errand to run or something, but he would’ve told her beforehand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Working with Cameron backstage had been fun, if Beth was being honest. They cracked jokes and had some deep conversations. Beth learned that he took up art because of his mom and that he secretly loved fantasy novels. In turn, Beth told him that she loved cooking, baking, and murder mysteries. They even gave each other some recommendations to broaden their horizons. Beth made him lemon cookies once she found out his mom used to bake them for him and they were his favorite. In turn, Cameron created a beautiful painting of all of Beth’s favorite flowers- lilies, orchids, and bluebells. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Somehow, over the next few weeks, Cameron became her best friend. They connected so easily with each other despite being on opposite sides. But neither of them cared- they had no intention of letting the ISA or the JSA come in between their friendship. Beth knew Cameron felt the same way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Beth, sorry I’m late,” Cameron walked through the backstage door, holding two cups of coffee from Starbucks. He handed one to her. “Grande caramel macchiato, your favorite.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, I love you!” Beth gratefully accepted the steaming cup and took a sip. It was heavenly. “I really needed some coffee, how did you know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You said you were up late last night, so I figured you would need the extra caffeine for this afternoon,” Cameron shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, seriously, I love you!” Beth took another sip, relishing in the taste of caramel and espresso.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron chuckled, still holding his drink- a grande vanilla latte. “Anything for you, honey.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rick, who walked backstage to put something in his bag, overheard the last part of Beth and Cameron. He couldn’t help the jealousy that formed deep within at Beth professing her love for Cameron, who then called her honey. He knew they weren’t dating, Beth would’ve told them, but that didn’t stop Rick from feeling so dejected. He walked back onto the stage silently, unnoticed by Beth and Cameron.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up with you?” Yolanda inquired, guiding Rick to different parts of the stage to test the lighting on him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nothing,” Rick grumbled, trying to erase the image of Beth and Cameron from his mind. He failed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yolanda narrowed her eyes, but didn’t push. Rick would talk when he was ready. Besides, she knew he was moody because of Beth and Cameron, the latter who was actually doing a better job that Yolanda expected.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Beth and Cam sat on the couch that was backstage drinking their coffee, Beth spoke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Won’t we get in trouble for sitting down, drinking coffee?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah, we work hard, we earned a break,” Cameron reassured his best friend. He smiled goofily at the thought. He had a best friend. A best friend who was in the JSA and was the sweetest girl in school. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what, you’re right,” Beth agreed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron mock-gasped. “Did Beth Chapel just admit that she was wrong?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth swatted his shoulder playfully. “No, I was merely saying that you had a valid point.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron laughed and sipped his latte. He hadn’t laughed this much since his father died, and it was all because of Beth. “So, how are things with Rick?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth tilted her head. “Um, fine?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You like him, it’s obvious. You going to ask him out?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth felt her cheeks heat up. “He doesn’t like me like that.” Rick probably thought of her as a little sister at most. Why would someone as handsome and smart as Rick like her?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I know what you’re thinking,” Cameron saw the look on Beth’s face, “You are amazing, okay? You’re smart, funny, sweet, I could go on and on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks Cam, but I don’t think Rick would like me like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Did Beth really not see the way Rick looked at her? Did she really think that he wouldn’t feel that way for her ever? “Beth, of course he would like you. Anyone would. Besides,” Cameron bumped her shoulder with his, “you melted my cold heart, I’m sure you already did the same for him!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your humor is very sardonic,” Beth deadpanned, drinking her macchiato more quickly before it got cold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. And I’m pretty sure Rick likes you too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How can you be so sure?” Beth wondered. The possibility of Rick liking her back made her heart flutter, but she didn’t dare hope. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because he looks at you with heart eyes, which I didn’t think Rick Harris was capable of. Plus he’s been sending me death glares since production for the play began,” Cameron explained, smirking at Rick’s reactions towards him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why would he glare at you?” Was it because Cameron was in the ISA? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because he’s jealous of you and I getting closer,” Cameron revealed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth shook her head. “No, he wouldn’t be jealous of you… of us. He’s just wary about you, what with being your enemy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, the main source of his animosity toward me is our friendship,” Cameron said. “Look, just think about it. Rick likes you, he thinks I’m trying to date you, and thus he hates me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cameron!” Beth exclaimed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not wrong,” Cameron insisted. “Look, just think about it and give it time. Just know that you deserve to be happy, Beth. That’s all I want for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Coffee still in her hand, Beth threw her arms around Cameron, who returned the gesture. “You deserve to be happy too, Cam.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron smiled into Beth’s neck. “That means a lot to me, more than you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two stayed like that for a couple of seconds before breaking apart. Beth shook her now empty cup. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I’m finished with this and I definitely feel more energized.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron held his own empty cup. “Same. Here, I’ll throw them away and then we can work on stuff.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once Cameron was back, the duo got to work on their respective tasks. Beth had Courtney’s dress on a mannequin and she was adding some strings in the front of the dress in an attempt to mimic medieval style. She also had plans to embroider a design along the neckline and down the dress at some point as well. Meanwhile, Cameron was attempting to build a balcony. Luckily they had some wooden structures left over from last year’s play, and Cameron was trying to figure out how to work with it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Beth, can you come here for a sec?” Cameron asked, holding two pieces of wood together while kneeling on the floor.. Beth nodded and walked over to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you hold these two together like this?” Cameron shifted so Beth would have more space to move into a comfortable squat as she held the wooden pieces. The assistant stage manager then grabbed two nails and hammered them down, careful to avoid hitting Beth’s hands. “Thanks,” he said when he finished.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Beth removed her hands. She accepted Cameron’s hand as he gently pulled her to her feet after getting up. “What is that for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The balcony. I’m finished with the legs of it thanks to you, I just have to finish the rest of it,” Cameron explained. “I found these really nice balusters from last year’s play so I’m planning on using those for the front of the balcony so it looks nicer. I just have to make sure it’s strong enough so it doesn’t collapse while Courtney is standing on it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that would be disastrous,” Beth noted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I also need to find a ladder and decorate it so it blends into the scenery so Rick can climb it during the balcony scene, which shouldn’t be too hard.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dammit, Court, Rick, stop looking so disgusted when you have to kiss!” The backstage duo heard Yolanda yell from the stage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth and Cameron exchanged an amused look before laughing. “Oh my god,” Beth giggled. “I didn’t think Yolanda would actually yell at them for not wanting to kiss!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, can you blame her? Kissing is an important part of Romeo and Juliet,” Cameron chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You mean aside from the fact they both die at the end?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah pretty much.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth giggled once again. “Okay, let’s try to work on these before Yolanda yells at </span>
  <em>
    <span>us</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rick and Courtney, I swear to god-” Yolanda’s voice was heard once again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think she’s too busy yelling at your friends to yell at us,” Cameron commented, before smirking. “Hey, at least Rick doesn’t want to kiss Courtney! Do you believe that he likes you now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth swatted the ice villain on the arm playfully. “Shut up, get to work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am,” Cameron teased, a glint of mischief in his eyes. Beth rolled her eyes before going back to the mannequin to continue sewing. Cameron turned his attention back to the balcony, determined to finish it well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the duo did their best to ignore whatever chaos was going on on the stage.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beth was officially panicking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The play was in three days and she was behind on schedule. She planned to have the costumes ready early so she could have the actors try them on to make sure they fit and give herself enough time to do any last minute alterations. It was a good plan, Beth thought. Yet here she was, at her house freaking out over embroidery. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The stupid embroidery.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth thought she was decent at embroidery, but apparently her skills went out the window sometime between last year and today. She blinked back the hot tears that formed in her eyes due to her stress. She couldn’t do this, she couldn’t finish the costumes. She was going to let everyone down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth knew she should call someone to help her calm down, but who? Yolanda had enough on her plate, and no doubt Rick and Courtney would be busy with rehearsals. Unless…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unless she called Cameron. The two of them may have become best friends, but Beth had never invited him to her house, and certainly not when she was alone here. But what choice did she have? She needed help. So, she grabbed her phone off the table, ignoring the discarded embroidery hoops and threads she had thrown to the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The teen heroine clicked on Cameron’s contact and listened to the ring.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Beth,” Cameron greeted politely. “What’s up”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cameron?” Beth cursed her shaky voice. She sounded like she would burst into tears at any moment. Which, to be fair, was a reasonable assumption.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Beth?” Cameron asked urgently. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? Where are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m at my house,” Beth tried to keep a steady tone, but failed. “Can you just please come over?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m on my way,” Cameron assured his best friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ten minutes later, after urging his driver to break many driving laws, Cameron rushed to Beth’s door. He rang the doorbell and knocked on the door. His heart almost beat out of his chest- Beth had to be okay. He couldn’t lose her, she was the one good thing in his life now. When Beth opened the door, physically okay, Cameron released a breath he didn’t know he was holding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Beth, are you okay?” Cameron said urgently.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth nodded. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called you-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Cameron said softly. “You can call me anytime, okay? I will always come. Now, what’s wrong?” He entered Beth’s house after she stepped aside and indicated that he could come in. He took in the beautiful clean house that Beth lived in, lined with photographs on the wall and a coat rack near the door which Cameron placed his black jacket on. He also noted some of the costumes, fabrics, threads, and discarded embroidery materials on the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth gestured to the living room. “I can’t do it. I thought I could finish the costumes early but I can’t. I… I keep messing up with the embroidery and I just don’t know what to do-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Cameron gently placed his hands on Beth’s shoulders. He rubbed her arms up and down comfortingly. “Don’t worry about it, okay? Show me the design, and I’ll finish it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Beth looked up at her friend. “Cam, no, I can’t ask you to-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know how to embroider, Beth. Let me help you, okay? I want to help,” Cameron coaxed. He watched as the hesitance in Beth’s eyes turned into one of acceptance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, thank you,” Beth said quietly, leading him over to the table with her designs. She picked up her embroidery supplies and placed then neatly on the table. “I kinda went a bit crazy…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay. Just relax, okay? I got this.” Cameron said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make us some coffee, it’s the least I could do after interrupting your night- oh my god, I interrupted your night! Were you busy?” Guilt bubbled up in Beth. She didn’t mean to interrupt Cameron’s evening. What if he had plans with someone? Or what if he had ISA plans that Beth had disrupted with a single panicked phone call? The latter certainly seemed more logical.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If Cameron did have ISA matters to attend to, did he just...abandon them just to help her?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I wasn’t doing anything, don’t worry. Besides, I would much rather hang out with you, okay?” Cameron insisted, knowing that Beth would feel bad if she knew he had business to deal with. She probably wouldn’t feel bad if she knew he had put his ISA plans on hold, but knowing Beth, she would feel guilty for messing up his planned evening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That, and Cameron couldn’t let a JSA member know that he would drop everything to help her, he had a reputation to maintain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth nodded, convinced that Cameron was genuine with his intentions. Plus, she was too exhausted to argue or think of anything else to say. “Okay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth made them both coffee and they spent the rest of the night working on the costumes. Cameron dealt with the embroidery while Beth stitched up anything that still needed to be fixed. The duo worked in a comfortable atmosphere- it wasn’t quiet and it wasn’t loud. They both focused on their work, but still conversed when it got too quiet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They both finished later in the night and relaxed on the couch, watching a random movie that was on TV. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe we finished it all,” Beth commented, fighting against the tiredness of her eyes. Her head dropped to Cameron’s shoulder, who shifted to make sure she was in a comfortable position.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, we make a good team- we get shit done,” Cameron chuckled, which caused Beth to do the same. “What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just never thought I would hear Cameron Mahkent curse like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You do know I’m a supervillain, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A supervillain who dropped everything to come to a superhero’s house because she asked you to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>we’re</span>
  </em>
  <span> the real Romeo and Juliet,” Cameron noted thoughtfully.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Two best friends who are on opposite sides? Yeah, maybe you have a point.” Beth took a deep breath and sat up, looking at her friend’s face. “Hey, Cam?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t wanna lose you. I don’t want our friendship to end, and I certainly don’t want our story to end with us dying,” Beth poured out. These past few weeks have been wonderful, and Cameron proved to be a true friend despite his villainous tendencies. But Beth wasn’t as naive as many people thought, she knew that the odds of maintaining a friendship with Cameron were slim to none.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron felt his heart melt at Beth’s words. The teen had been through a lot, but Beth’s friendship was the one bright spot in his life. He already lost his parents, he’ll be damned if he loses Beth too. Cameron gently took Beth’s hand. “Hey, you’re not going to lose me, and I’m not going to lose you. Our friendship is bigger than the JSA and the ISA.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth bit her lip. “You can’t guarantee that we’ll both be okay, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, I can’t,” Cameron agreed. “Nothing in life is guaranteed, which is why you have to try your best to protect the things that matter most.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth smiled. “Like our friendship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly like our friendship.” Cameron grinned when Beth threw her arms around him. He returned the gesture. He wasn’t going to lose his friendship with Beth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two broke apart and returned to their original position, complete with Beth resting her head on Cameron’s shoulder. “Remind me again why we’re watching Enola Holmes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because it’s a fun mystery movie,” Beth responded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two remained like that until they both drifted off to sleep. It was a good thing Beth’s dad was out of town and her mom pulled the graveyard shift at the hospital. Otherwise, Beth would’ve had a lot of explaining to do about why she was asleep on the couch with a boy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~~~~~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Needless to say, opening night went off without a hitch. Beth watched her friends proudly bow on stage. Courtney and Rick’s performance was incredible, and Yolanda was an incredible stage manager. She practically took over Beth’s position as assistant director, which the latter had no problem with. Beth took one look at Yolanda’s beaming face and smiled, she would do this all over again if it meant seeing one of her best friends look like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Surprise,” Cameron spoke behind her. Beth turned around and gasped at the beautiful bouquet of yellow roses, red chrysanthemums, and orange lilies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cameron, you didn’t have to do this,” Beth gushed, happily accepting the flowers. She sniffed them, admiring the soft floral scents. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron shrugged. “Well, you are the best costume designer ever, and you worked hard. You deserve flowers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, Cam. But when did you even get these? I went with you to buy that bouquet for Yolanda, and you didn’t get another one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I went back after you went home,” Cameron admitted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth chuckled. “Cameron Mahkent, the only guy who would sneak around just to buy flowers.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell anyone, I have to maintain my reputation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What reputation?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s cold, Chapel.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not as cold as you, Mahkent.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The backstage duo burst out laughing. Beth tightened her grip on her colorful bouquet before she dropped them. It’s a good thing the audience was still cheering loudly for the performance, otherwise everyone would think the two were losing their minds if they heard. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” Cameron began, after he and Beth caught their breath after laughing. “One night down, four more to go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth nodded. “Yeah. Opening night was officially a success! Your sets looked beautiful by the way,” she added before she forgot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. And thank you for helping me paint them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course! Besides, you helped me with the costumes too,” Beth pointed out. “So, what are you up to now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron shrugged. “Nothing, you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Court’s family invited me, Rick, and Yolanda over for dinner, but I’m too tired to go over,” Beth admitted. “Do you want to get some hot chocolate from the diner and call it a night?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cameron smiled. “Yeah, I would love that. It would be nice to hang out without having to do anything for the play.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beth perked up. “It would!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll grab our stuff,” Cameron offered, “then we can get going!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After explaining to her friends that she was tired from the backstage stuff and that she just wanted to hang out with Cameron for a bit, Beth walked back to her best friend, who was waiting for her. She knew that her friends, especially Rick, didn’t trust Cameron, but they trusted her and that was enough for them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure, Beth and Cameron were still ‘enemies’, but they were also best friends. They wouldn’t let anything break their bond, and their respective teams knew this and surprisingly respected it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Star crossed lovers may not last, but star crossed best friends do.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
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